System and method for promoting marketable items

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media processor having a controller to receive from a media communication system metadata describing one or more marketable items depicted in a media program supplied by the media communication system, present images of the media program at a media presentation device without highlighting the one or more marketable items, present an icon at least at one of a remote controller managing operations of the media processor or the media presentation device to indicate a presence of the one or more marketable items in one or more of the images presented at the media presentation device, detect a selection of the icon, and highlight the one or more marketable items. Other embodiments are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A device comprising:
 a memory that stores instructions; and 
 a processing system including a processor coupled to the memory, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the processing system performs operations comprising:
 obtaining user-generated input, wherein the user-generated input includes user preferences for a preferred genre, a preferred media channel, and a preferred performer; 
 generating a hierarchical-defined preference according to the preferred genre, the preferred media channel, and the preferred performer; 
 identifying a selection of a first media program according to the hierarchical-defined preference, wherein the first media program comprises a first plurality of frames, wherein the first media program includes a first image of a marketable item; 
 receiving a description of the marketable item from a merchandiser, wherein the description comprises coordinates for locating the first image of the marketable item in the first media program, and wherein the description comprises marketing information associated with the marketable item; 
 constructing first metadata in accordance with the description and associated with the first media program; 
 distributing the first metadata to a media communication system to cause the media communication system to provide the first media program and the first metadata to a media processor, wherein the media processor is coupled to a presentation device, and wherein the media processor and the presentation device comprise equipment of a subscriber to the media communication system; and 
 presenting, at a remote controller during presentation of the first media program at the presentation device, the first image of the marketable item in a first frame of the first plurality of frames of the first media program with outlining, highlighting or a combination thereof, wherein the marketable item is cross-referenced to a second media program previously presented by the media processor, wherein the second media program comprises a second plurality of frames, wherein the second media program has associated therewith second metadata in accordance with the description, wherein the second media program is selected in accordance with a preference of the subscriber, and wherein selection of the first image of the marketable item causes a presentation of the second media program and a presentation of a third image of the marketable item in a second frame of the second plurality of frames of the second media program with outlining, highlighting or a combination thereof. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the marketing information associated with the marketable item comprises a product logo, a product promotion, a link to a website, pricing information, an identifier of a merchant selling the marketable item, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the selection of the first media program is received from the merchandiser. 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the media processor presents the first media program at a first screen portion of the presentation device and a second image of the marketable item at a separate second screen portion of the presentation device. 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 4 , wherein the second screen portion of the presentation device comprises a scrollable bar. 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 1 , wherein selection of the first image of the marketable item causes a pause of the first media program and a subsequent presentation including a merchant description of the marketable item. 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 6 , wherein the presentation comprises a graphical user interface including a window showing the first media program with the marketable item. 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first media program and the second media program comprise episodes of a series of media programs. 
     
     
       9. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the second metadata comprises coordinates for locating the third image of the marketable item in the second media program, and wherein the first image of the marketable item is located in the first media program and the third image of the marketable item is located in the second media program using an image mapping technique. 
     
     
       10. A method comprising:
 obtaining, by a media processor comprising a controller, user-generated input, wherein the user-generated input includes user preferences for a preferred genre, a preferred media channel, and a preferred performer; 
 generating, by the media processor, a hierarchical-defined preference according to the preferred genre, the preferred media channel, and the preferred performer; 
 identifying, by the media processor a first media program according to the hierarchical-defined preference; 
 receiving, by the media processor, the first media program and first metadata from a media communication system, the first media program comprising a first plurality of frames, the first metadata associated with the first media program and including a first image of a marketable item, wherein the first metadata comprises coordinates for locating the first image of the marketable item in the first media program and marketing information from a description of the marketable item provided by a merchandiser; 
 presenting, by the media processor, the first media program at a presentation device coupled to the media processor, the media processor and the presentation device comprising equipment of a subscriber to the media communication system, 
 providing, by the media processor, at a remote controller during presentation of the first media program at the presentation device, the first image of the marketable item in a first frame of the first plurality of frames of the first media program with outlining, highlighting or a combination thereof, wherein the marketable item is cross-referenced to a selected second media program previously presented by the media processor, the second media program comprising a second plurality of frames, the second media program having associated therewith second metadata in accordance with the description, the second media program being selected in accordance with a preference of the subscriber; 
 receiving a selection of the first image of the marketable item from the remote controller; and 
 presenting, in response to the selection, a third image of the marketable item in a second frame of the second plurality of frames of the second media program with outlining, highlighting or a combination thereof. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first metadata and the second metadata are constructed by a marketing system that receives the description of the marketable item from the merchandiser. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the marketing information comprises a product logo, a product promotion, a link to a website, pricing information, an identifier of a merchant selling the marketable item, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the media processor presents the first media program at a first screen portion of the presentation device and a second image of the marketable item at a separate second screen portion of the presentation device. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 pausing presentation of the first media program in response to a selection of the first image or the second image of the marketable item; and 
 subsequently presenting a merchant description of the marketable item. 
 
     
     
       15. A machine-readable storage device comprising instructions which, responsive to being executed by a processing system including a processor, cause the processing system to perform operations comprising:
 obtaining, by a media processor comprising a controller, user-generated input, wherein the user-generated input includes user preferences for a preferred genre, a preferred media channel, and a preferred performer; 
 generating, by the media processor, a hierarchical-defined preference according to the preferred genre, the preferred media channel, and the preferred performer; 
 identifying, by the media processor a first media program according to the hierarchical-defined preference; 
 receiving the first media program and first metadata, the first media program comprising a first plurality of frames, the first metadata associated with the first media program and including a first image of a marketable item, 
 wherein the first metadata comprises coordinates for locating the first image of the marketable item in the first media program and marketing information from a description of the marketable item provided by a merchandiser; 
 presenting the first media program at a presentation device, 
 providing, at a remote controller during presentation of the first media program at the presentation device, the first image of the marketable item in a first frame of the first plurality of frames of the first media program with outlining, highlighting or a combination thereof, wherein the marketable item is cross-referenced to a second media program having associated therewith second metadata in accordance with the description, wherein the second media program comprises a second plurality of frames; 
 receiving a selection of the first image of the marketable item from the remote controller; and 
 presenting, in response to the selection, a second image of the marketable item in a second frame of the second plurality of frames of the second media program with outlining, highlighting or a combination thereof. 
 
     
     
       16. The machine-readable storage device of  claim 15 , wherein the marketing information comprises a product logo, a product promotion, a link to a website, pricing information, an identifier of a merchant selling the marketable item, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
       17. The machine-readable storage device of  claim 15 , wherein the first media program and the second media program comprise episodes of a series of media programs.